Spreading the fabulosity since 1968!

Vacation 1 of 2

2011-07-09T16:07:00.004-04:00

Hi dolls!

Just returned from a week with the fam at Mexico Beach, FL (voted one of the 10 best beaches in the world, thank-you-very-much), and what a wonderful week it was. Eight of us went, including my niece, Zhen, and nephew, Zeth. Zeth is 10 and full of life and energy and wonder. Zhen is 7 and full of attitude and I love every bit of it. She answers every question now with "maybe".

What?!?! Maybe?

**shakes head giggling**

Zhen is a chick after my own heart - she likes to sleep in. Zeth hits the ground RUNNING no later than 6:30 a.m. I am not even kidding. So naturally, everyone in the beach house started getting up earlier. Add that to the fact that he insisted on sleeping with me, so not only did I get up earlier than normal on some mornings because of this, I also slept with his knees stabbing me in the back. I still wouldn't trade the boy in for anything, not counting that sleep part, because by Day 3 I would have gladly traded him in on some narcotic strength sleeping pills.

That said, the kids, my parents, Brother, BabySis, her fiance', and I had a spectacular time. I will have you know that I relaxed SO much that I did not, even once, wear a pair of heels. I wore only flip flops for 7 days. (I KNOW!) Now, mind you, I packed heels because, well... that's what I do. I don't go anywhere without several pairs of heels.

A gal's gotta be prepared.

On the 4th, we all gathered out on the beach, along with the entire town of locals and travelers, to watch the fireworks. You, my friends, have not seen fireworks until you've seen the Mexico Beach fireworks. Not only can you watch the Mexico Beach fireworks display, but you can also watch Port St. Joe's from your beach spot as well. And in between all of THAT, everyone on the beach have brought their own fireworks. You cannot wrap your brain around what you are witnessing. Fireworks going off from 5 feet away from where you sit, to 10 miles away. It really is, quite simply, amazing.

Other than that, we sunned on the beach, did a little shopping and sunned on the beach some more. The kids had a blast and I even got in the water and played with them; something I normally won't do. You know... that whole sharks-will-eat-you-alive thing. But it was The Kids and I wasn't about to take that from them, so in the water I went. However, as much as they begged, I was not about to go all the way out to the sandbar. I don't care how much I love 'em, I ain't goin' out to no sandbar to get my leg eaten off.

During a shopping trip to Port St. Joe, we did some boutique shopping (much to the guys' dismay) and then headed over to Apalachicola, where we dined at Boss Oysters at the Apalachicola River Inn, which has a great waterfront view of the bay. The service that day was slow, but the steamed oysters are some of the best (we ordered 9 DOZEN, so I would venture to say that either they were THAT good or we were THAT hungry).

We made nightly trips 2 blocks over to Tommy T's, who is known for his "Krazy Kolors" ice cream that The Kids would seriously kill for. You don't even want to know what that stuff can do to your stomach, so the grown-up's went the safe route: "Regular" ice cream. The Kids, of course, went for the Krazy Kolors. (Krazy Kolors = dynamite).

Our trip, as usual, went way too fast. But we had such a wonderful time and we can't wait to go back.

Next on the list: Vacation 2 of 2, Los Angeles, CA for 10 days for the World Championships of Performing Arts. California will never be the same once The Thomas Girls arrive.

New blog on that when I return!

Sparkles 'n kisses!

xoxo

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Because every chick should have a friend who encourages this type of behavior.

2011-06-23T17:52:00.005-04:00

I was turned on to this chicks website by my dear friend, Jen, and OH MY GOD, I have not laughed this hard in a long time. She is a must read. The humor this gal writes is brills! And make sure you read THIS entry, because it's the sole reason for my post today, and if you don't read it, then you'll have no idea what I'm talking about, or why I'm talking about it, or what the ending of this post even means!

See, it got me wondering, does everyone have a friend like this? One with whom you can get in to more trouble than you can think of and laugh the whole time? One who will not hesitate to get mad at you because you forgot to call her to come join the fun/trouble that you were about to find yourself in? I have one of those. Her name is Annette. Annette is bat-shit crazy. And, God, I love Annette. I have known her for 5 years and let me just tell you right now: We have found ourselves in more trouble than should be legal. We still do not understand why certain Maconites have not banished us from our humble little town.

(Side bar: I need to state right here that The Mom will probably read this, so Mama, when I say "trouble", I don't mean in a bad way! No cops were involved in the making of The Trouble.)

You see, these friends make your world a better place. You get a 2:00 a.m. phone call from Bat-Shit Crazy and you know something good just went down. It may or may not be good for them, but you know, as much as you love her, you're about to get entertained. This is your middle-of-the-night-phone-call from her telling you all kinds of fun you just missed and could you pleeeeaassseee not tell me again that it's 2:00 a.m and that you will call me tomorrow because I have to tell you this right now! It's also sitting together, just minding our own business, when The Trouble just drops in to our laps. Like right in front of us. Like RIGHT THERE. How can you walk away from it? We look at each other, and we're all "Seriously? Does Trouble not realize what's about to happen"?

I'm pretty sure there may have been a time or two, back in the day, when our significant others just shook their heads and was all "they've lost their minds".

Bat-Shit Crazy, who also has all the love her in heart for her friends, will also come to you at a moments notice, dropping everything, when she hears the words "I need you"? Doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, we arrive when needed. Shopping, drinks, drama, just hanging out together, emergency middle-of-the-night phone calls. Someone's crying, someone's mad, someone's laughing, someone's got drama, someone's dog just dug a hole in my flowerbed and you need to know about this right now no it cannot wait until morning stop telling me that! Dinner together, gossiping, girls weekends, someone you can tell anything to and they've got your back - right or wrong.

Or, you could just be in a discount store encouraging one another to buy a 5-foot-tall-chicken and think it's totally normal.

I mean, DUH!

Doesn't everyone buy stupid stuff in discount stores, just because it's funny?

Anyway, the point is that you need a crazy friend to encourage you to do silly things. Because laughing, no matter the circumstance, is always good for the soul. And who more to make you laugh than a crazy friend that you totally couldn't live without?

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Film Festin'

2011-02-12T17:20:00.012-05:00

Hi Dolls!

Hope this all finds you as fabulous as can be! I have finally had a quiet weekend, with no plans, and I have really enjoyed it.

But, I get antsy.

So, thank goodness I have tons of plans for the upcoming week! In case you didn't already know it from my numerous tweets and Facebook postings, The 6th Annual Macon Film Festival is almost upon us and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am.

Terrell Sandefur, Priscilla Esser and a slew of others have worked tirelessly to bring you this fabulous 4 day event (Feb 17-20) in beautiful, historic downtown Macon, GA! This is my first year volunteering and I'll be working two different time slots: Friday, 2-5pm slot for the box office and Saturday, 11-2pm for filmmaker check-in. Come see me!

I will also be attending day and evening screenings, which ohmigoodness, just gives me chills at the fun that is headed my way, not to mention I finally get to see "Get Low". And? AND??? The after parties! (Can I get an Amen, please?) Let me just tell you right now, I am already going through my closet to pick out my "Film Fest Funky" attire, as the fantastic Mr. Sandefur described to me when I asked what the attire was for the festival. Hey! This IS my first festival and I do loves me an excuse to purchase clothes for any reason whatsoever. So, not only have I been devouring my closet, I have purchased a couple of cute things from Jack & Darcy Boutique in Milledgeville. (You can also find Jack & Darcy on Facebook here.)

(Side note: Did you see all those links? I'm pluggin' everyone today!)

In other entertainment news, I spent Wednesday evening playing cards, eating delicious food and enjoying cocktails with three of the coolest people I know: The amazing Mizz Kate McD, George and my new friend, Jettice. We had a litte bit of a half time show where Kate ran out of gas AND killed her battery all within 5 minutes. George and I jet off to save the damsel in distress, then arrive back in time to eat, break out the Uno cards, and fill our glasses with wine and love. After many hours of wine and a gazillion laughs, I do declare that it was totally worth dragging out of bed at 11:30 the next day. I may, or may not, have been hungover.

(Side note: When going out, and it's raining hard, do not under any circumstances wear light colored suede boots. FAIL!)

In the homefront department, I woke up this morning earlier than normal because I had a really bad feeling something was wrong. Oh, was it ever wrong. When I opened my eyes, they went right to my cat, Wesley, who was happily tee-teeing all over a small pile of dirty cloths that I did not put in the hamper. And he was looking me dead in the eyes, daring me to beat the shit out of him. His litter box is clean. Food and water is full. I have no clue what I did that made him mad. All I know is he better be glad he wasn't trying to finish off my previously-mentioned suede boots, because there was about to be a misunderstanding up in here! And, oh-my-god-no-he-didn't, as I'm cleaning it all up and throwing everything in the wash, he jumps his little nappy butt up on the bed, stretches, then curls up and goes to sleep.

Blink.

Blink blink.

That cat is SO VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE TODAY. He better be glad that I love him so much. That's all I'm sayin'.

Sparkles 'n kisses!

xoxo

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Oh, behave! (or not...)

2009-11-08T23:25:00.017-05:00

"Well behaved women rarely make history".

-------------------------------------------------------

This is one of my most favorite quotes! And I live by it every day as if it were my motto. The way I figure, you only have one life and none of us are getting out of this alive. Live it like you might not wake up tomorrow. So, I say get out there and live a little, ladies! Make your mark on this world. Make your own history!

Do something you never thought you'd do... and no one else thought you'd do either. Have a good laugh at yourself, at your expense. Don't take life too seriously.

Example: I wore the crown that one of my BFF's gave me for my birthday this year, then took a picture with him to show the world how proud of it I was. I was so proud of that crown that I wore it in the restaurant all night...even though I am in my 40's, and even though, I'm sure, there were people looking down their noses all "I cannot believe that woman is wearing a crown IN HERE"! Guess what? I'll bet you that myself and my friends had TONS more fun than they did. They were worried about being too pretentious... I was worried about nothing more than living my life to it's fullest.

See what I mean?

Don't take the little things for granted. Take the little things, and make them grand!

Whatever you're doing... turn it in to a fabulous memory. And please... don't rest too much. You'll have plenty of time for that when the good Lord calls you Home!

Now go! Git! Have fun and make me proud!

Sparkles 'n kisses!

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The Roadtrip (Part II)

2009-11-05T23:08:00.004-05:00

Dear y'all,

I hope you enjoyed "The Roadtrip (Part I)". If not, you can click HERE to catch up before reading on.

Ok, everyone caught up now? Great!

So we left off where Jen and I died at 4:00 a.m. after drinking 2 bottles of wine. Once we finally woke up, I think around 10-ish (?), we decided to walk down to the Avenue, have some brunch and do a little bit of local shopping. Leisurely strolls down avenues full of locally-owned businesses is where I love to be when visiting another town. I mean OH. MY. GOD. there was art and gourmet/couture pet shops and chocolate and cheese and wine and pizza and card/paper shops and the Fall leaves falling like snow all around us and a few trick-or-treaters thrown in for good measure and some locals hanging out and dogs being taken for their walks.

I think I quivered a few times.

Anyway, our first stop was Cheesetique, that Jen frequents quite often, I understand.

Y'all the sweet, pungent odor of the cheese just got me all excited the second we opened the door. A wonderful mix of cheese and happiness. Ms. Cheese Lady has cheese from all over the world. I am not even kidding. We sat in the back, at the cafe'/wine bar area, and ordered a cheese sampler along with a sample of the cured meat. Oh good Lord, that stuff was good! After that, I had a very decadent and smooth bowl of tomato/lobster bisque and a spring mix salad with balsamic vinegarette. I can't tell you what Jen had because I was too busy stuffing my face with all that heaven-ness.

We also grabbed a few cheeses to go, along with some marinated mushrooms and some Italian salami for later.

Then it was on to other stores. About the time that we got going good, she steered me towards a beautiful, and very tiny stand alone store called Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery And Boutique.

Is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

I swear to God, I squealed like Perez Hilton when he first laid eyes on Ricky Martin. This was THE cutest place. Ever. They had clothes and toys and all kinds of stuff for pets. And the best part? Gourmet puppy treats! Oh yes, Tater and Mia are gonna love them! The treats they made for pets looked so delicious. "The Girls" (as we call them) are getting some peanut butter cookies as well as some cheese cookies. They will heart me even more now.

Once we were done with the shopping, we headed back to her place to sit on the balcony with a glass of wine, because 2 bottles the night before apparently did not teach us a lesson. And while I'm talking about her balcony, let me just tell you about the view: There is a beautiful view of the city, the Potomac River, Ronald Reagan International Airport (without hearing the planes), the edge of Maryland, AND THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT! The views at night were especially spectacular. I suspected that her balcony (which I swear was the longest one I've ever seen - the entire length of her apartment!) was the place to be on July 4th for the D.C. fireworks and she confirmed - it is.

(Partial night view from the balcony - cell phone shot. Now, you can't tell it in this pic, but the Washington Monument is there. See the zoomed-in version below in the daylight. Hard to see as it was a gloomy day outside, but it's there and on a clear day, it's an awesome sight! You can see it right in the middle of the shot - behind the tree line - just to the left of the buildings....it's tryin' to blend in with the clouds/gloom. Whatever. It's there.)

She also made mention that, on occasion, she has seen Marine One take off from The White House. How cool is that???

While we were out on the balcony, we saw a bald eagle fly by. Seriously. How much more patriotic can you get than to see a bald eagle fly by not 100 feet from you, with THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT IN THE BACKGROUND???

I'm just sayin'.

We also kept getting a whiff of something being cooked with tons of garlic. I thought maybe a neighbor, but then she reminded me about the gourmet pizza place on the 1st floor of her complex. After about 20 minutes, we decided that it was a night for pizza....and of course, more wine.

After ordering a large thin crust, we sat back and enjoyed the pizza and wine and got caught up on more of our life's events. Because we were getting up early for brunch in D.C., followed by a little sight-seeing, we thought it best to lay low on the wine, and just head to bead a little early.

And here's where I halt this post because it's getting wayyyy too long and there is lots more to tell and I don't want you getting bored because the fun part comes in Part III. I mean, not that it wasn't fun up to this point - it was awesome. But, Part III? Oh, you're gonna love that one!

With that, I will close here and say that I hope you have enjoyed taking this roadtrip to VA with me, so far!

Sparkles 'n kisses!

(P.S.: If you are on Twitter and would like to follow any of the shops that I mentioned, you can follow Cheesetique at "cheese_lady" and Barkley Square at "BarkleyPets".)

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The Daily Fabulous

2009-11-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

"Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine"! --Unknown

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The Roadtrip (Part I)

2009-11-03T17:53:00.013-05:00

Dear y'all,

Oh, how I missed you and I hope you missed me just as much! I have been a little MIA lately, but that's not because I didn't want to be here with you. It's just that my schedule has gotten a little bit hectic lately (particularly, the weekends) and I just plain ran out of time to write a blog or two.

I figured I'd save up all of the missed blogs for a two- or three-parter. Beginning with this one.

As some of y'all know, I had a roadtrip planned up to Alexandria, VA to spend a weekend with my old roommate from California, Jen. I've seen her once since we both moved from CA to the East Coast and that was at her wedding 6 yrs ago, and as you can probably figure, we didn't get a lot of time to spend together...her being a new bride and all. Well, that and the fact that she needed to speak to all the guests at the reception, I'm thinking I got all of 30 seconds in before she had to move on to the next guest. So, I guess I wouldn't really call it a "visit". More like a drive-by "Hi, great to see you here! So glad you could come! Enjoy yourself! Eat, drink and have a good time". And then she was gone - on to the next table of guests to do the thank you thing. I did, however, have a fun swing dance with her handsome Dad, along with catching up with friends and acquaintances who flew out from CA to the wedding.

This visit was different. We both wanted a little bit of nostalgia and we figured it was time for a visit.

So, I headed out on what we originally assumed would be about an eight-ish hour drive.

Wrong!

It was almost ELEVEN HOURS!

But that was ok. This ain't my first trip around the block. I've made 11-hr trips (each way) many times from OH to GA and back. So it's the same, except different because I'm a little older now and my body just can't handle it (I found out after I rolled my 41-year-old decrepit body out of the car when I arrived).

Needless to say, I was a wee bit tired when I arrived at her place at 11:00 pm Friday night after being up since 7:00 am and working till 12:00 before getting on the road. Ok, A LOT tired. But as soon as she opened the door, it was like I was back in CA again, only 10 years later.

It was time to catch up on what had been going on in both of our lives. So she broke out a bottle of wine, and we commenced to chit-chatting, gossiping, reminiscing and all kinds of fun conversations.

Two bottles later, at 4:00 am, we died.

But, during the time between the start of my drive and the end of those two bottles of wine, I thought a lot about how we met, the year that we lived together, and how two very different people formed a lasting friendship. I mean, normally you have a roommate in another city (OK, at the other end of the country!), you do your roommate thing, then move on, eventually falling out of contact, only to wonder a hundred years later what ever happened to them. And it could've easily happened that way. We never had a whole lot in common, other than we both liked wine, a cappella and a good party. But, friendships form for all kinds of reasons, and this is one of them.

So, here's where I'm going to let Jen explain to you her thoughts about how we met and the resulting, unlikely, yet enduring friendship we formed. If you would, please take a moment and CLICK HERE to read her take on our friendship because I really think you would enjoy it. She writes way more eloquently than I. And she is definitely going to get a giggle or two out of you. (Don't worry - the link will open up another screen so you won't have to hit the "back" button to get back here.)

I'll be back after you read it......

Ta-ta!

Ok, did you read it? (I really hope you did!)

Anyway, there is a lot to tell you about, so I'm going to write the blog in parts. Three max, but maybe I can get it all in two. Wait...I forgot that I tend to get a little long-winded when I write, so it'll probably be three parts.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow for Part II because, for only being there a couple of days, there's a lot to tell!

Sparkles 'n kisses!

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A day not so fabulous

2009-10-21T17:00:00.012-04:00

Dear y'all,

As much as I love all things fabulous, every now and then I just need "one of those days". A day for sweats and no make up, and that's about the extent of it. Today, I took a vacation day. Sometimes you just need a mid-week vacation day to re-group. Not that I needed to re-group completely, but just to wind down a little because the weekends have become so hectic. See, every weekend from now until Thanksgiving is booked solid. This weekend, I'm judging a pageant and visiting with my Aunt Carla, from Savannah, who's judging with me. Next weekend, I'm off to Virginia for a lot of nostalgia and even more wine with my old roomie from CA, Jen (yay!). The weekend after that, my cousin Britain is getting married in Atlanta, and the following weekend, I and the other siblings will be at Mama's to, once and for all, get our old stuff out of her storage building and have a big 'ol yard sale. She has politely informed us that she'd like her space back and that we are grown-ass adults and to get our own space to store all of our crap that we do not want in our homes or sell it. And the weekends continue on like this.

So, as I woke up this morning, to Wesley (my cat) having his morning playtime (i.e. freaking the heck out!), I considered my options: get out of bed, or just burrow down in to the middle with the comforter wrapped all around and watch TV for hours until it was time to get up to cook dinner.

About that time, the internet called. It missed me. It needed me to read the news, Perez Hilton, Msnbc, The Huffington Post and Dear Abby (because who doesn't love Dear Abby?). It also beckoned me to Tweet, comment to friends' Facebook status's, vote for AC Pup so that he could win $1M for our local animal shelter, respond to emails, and work on a blog or two.

Hi, my name is Tammy Spires. And I'm an internet addict.

After I had my "fix", I considered what to do next. So I picked up around the house a little, and played with Wesley.

(Side note: Have you ever had a cat that was obsessed with his litter box? Each time I go near the thing, he's all "What are you doing to my poop? Seriously. It's my poop". And I'm all "Dude, I need to scoop it". And he's all "Just be careful with it" and I'm all "OK! I promise!". Y'all, he can be in a dead sleep two rooms away, and if he hears me scooping, he runs to the restroom like I'm about to kidnap the poop and keep it for myself. He follows me from the litter box to the toilet then watches it go bye-bye when I flush. It's almost funny to watch him because he actually STARES AT THE POOP with this totally pitiful look about him - like, goodbye, my friend. He has been known to try to get in to the box and LAY IN IT to stop me from trying to scoop the poop. Boy's got some issues. I'm just sayin'.)

Anyway... Once Wesley was all happy and peachy and seeing Starburst rainbows, I thought ok -- what now? By then I was a little munchy, and actually considered a quick roadtrip up to Atlanta for the sole reason of getting a Chipotle burrito. I will drive up there just to get one, eat it, then drive back. I am not even kidding. I have been known to do that in the past. The closest Chipotle restaurant is an hour and 15 minutes north of here, in Buckhead (Atl). After a few minutes of serious consideration, I settled on a gyro from Papouli's Mediterranean Cafe' and Market, our local Greek restaurant.

Excellent choice, as their chicken gyro is to die for! And the day has been perfect with beautiful skies and the perfect temperature to sit outside and eat.

Afterwards, I returned a movie that Blockbuster was about to charge me for because I never take them back on time. Then on to PetSmart, where I got all kinds of goodies for Wesley - including a new, covered, litter box! He is going to be so excited (you know, that whole obsession with his poop thing). I have also picked out his and Tater's (my little doggie) Christmas presents. Her, new clothes. Him, a bad ass scratching/climbing post that has 4 levels. I have no idea where to put that thing when I get it. I have a sunroom, and I think the corner, by one of the windows will be an excellent spot for it.

By this time, it's pushing on 4pm, so we head on back to the house. I become lazy once again, and vegg out on the couch, watch a little TV, and take some meat out of the fridge to thaw out for dinner... spaghetti. Yum!

Afternoon cocktails are on the horizon, then dinner, then more vegging out on the couch until bedtime.

So, I think my not-so-fabulous-day turned out to be just fabulous after all - even when traveling through the day with no makeup, no heels and no "do". Just a ponytail under a Raiders hat, tennis shoes, and sweats. I rested, shopped, ate, entertained Wesley, rested some more, will be having drinks and cooking dinner shortly and then a little wind-down time before preparing for work tomorrow.

Yeah... I guess it was pretty fabulous.

Sparkles 'n kisses!

Love,
Tammy

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Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-20T22:48:00.004-04:00

Dear y'all,

As most of you are probably aware by now, the movie "Where The Wild Things Are" is out at the theaters, and doing great, I might add!

When I first saw the previews, I was all excited because I'd read that book MANY, MANY times during my childhood. As a matter of fact, over the years, I've pulled it out of storage and read it just because it was such a magical story. So, naturally, once I found out there was a movie coming out, I immediately knew that I had to find my childhood book and read it.

See, when I was just learning to read, Mama got me in to a book club so that I could read all about fantasy lands and princesses and wonderful creatures and Aesop's Fables and curious monkey's and elephant's named Babar and all that fun stuff. But, "Where The Wild Things Are" was just the best.

(Side note: When I saw the previews, I was all "Oh my God, I loved that book when I was little! I'm surprised they made a movie out of it because I didn't think many people had even heard of that book", and my friend was all "Are you serious?", and I'm all "Yeah!", and he's all "Tammy, every freakin' body read that book when they were little", and I was "Get Out!". I seriously did not know that it was such a popular book. I swear to God, I didn't. I have no clue how that little fact got past me.)

Well, this past Sunday, while at my parents house, I started tearing through all of Mama's "store stuff" places in the house, looking for "Where The Wild Things Are" because I wanted to read it to my niece, Zhen, along with some other of my childhood books. I could still see, very clearly, what the cover of that little hardback looked like:

Of course, you know me and my luck, I couldn't find it. I have a sneaky suspicion that I took the book years ago and have subsequently lost it during cross-country moves, or something like that. I was terribly upset... as was Mama because I had completely destroyed two bedrooms and a suitcase looking for it. Yes, I said suitcase. She has some of those many books stored in an old suitcase that is never used except to store things like that under the bed. (Hey, don't knock it - it works. It's perfect for under-the-bed storage because you can just grab the handle and pull and voilà - there it is.)

Anyway, as I said, I couldn't find the book but we're hoping it's still somewhere in the house or storage building. Time will tell. In the meantime, I did come across some of my other favorites from my childhood that I was able to read to Zhen and she just adored them!

("The Cookie Tree")

("Miss Suzy" and "It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown")

("How Fletcher Was Hatched" and "The Terrible Thing That Happened at Our House")

But one of my most awesome ones was this one, that I didn't read to Zhen, but if she ever becomes one, I'm totally gonna compare hers to the old one I had from about 35-ish years ago:

MY BROWNIE BOOK!!!

Oh, I so loved being a Brownie and I read this book all the time! Although I never made it to being a Girl Scout (by then my tomboy-ish-ness had kicked in), I did get to sell the Girl Scout cookies and my Daddy couldn't have been happier because, to this day, he totally has a love affair with Thin Mints.

Hope y'all enjoy "Where The Wild Things Are" and it takes you to that wonderful time in your childhood when everything was just magical!

Sparkles 'n kisses!!!

Love,
Tammy

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I'll have my people call your people

2009-10-15T21:35:00.017-04:00

Or maybe not.

I thought I was about to have a very small taste of that 15-minutes-of-fame-thing, but alas...it was not meant to be. Read on:

Some of y'all might remember back in April '08 when I blogged about a sweet gal, by the name of Mitch McCabe, who contacted me through MySpace, and subsequently interviewed me for a documentary that she was doing about anti-aging and what people will do/are doing to combat the aging process.

You can read my blog about it here (entitled "Everyone Has Their 15 Minutes") for the full story. I spent a few hours in front of the camera being interviewed, then we went to lunch and talked futher. She was a sweet gal, really laid back. She asked some great questions and was really knowledgeable about the story she wanted to tell.

Well, it looks like the time has come. The film/documentary is complete and it looks to be very good. Yay! She titled it "Youth Knows no Pain" (Better Living Through Plastic Surgery).

(That's Mitch on the poster!)

I asked her to let me know when she completed it and she kept in touch periodically on her progress with the film. One of her most recent emails, unfortunately, said that I had ended up on the cutting room floor. (*GASP* What??? Oh, the horror!!!) But, I had also asked her to let me know if I made it in, or was cut. Oh well... such is the business (yeah, because I just know so much about "the business"!) But I did appreciate her letting me know.

I think I will email her and see if I can get my hands on the footage of me...just to see how it turned out. Although she did mention in her email that the dvd (which I will be purchasing when it's available) may carry some extra footage and I may be in that.

Anyway, I received an email tonight that Mitch's documentary is complete, so I went to check it out. And I'm very proud of the end result.

Check out the trailer here as it premiered on HBO back on August 31st, which I somehow missed, and will be playing at the Sacramento Documentary Film Festival next weekend (Oct 24th) Once you're at the site, click on "Trailer" at the bottom of the screen. You can also read about her by clicking on "About" (like y'all didn't already know that.)

Even though I didn't make it in to the film, I'm very excited about it and just knowing that I was part of the process is still pretty neat. And I'm proud of the job she did.

Awesome job, Mitch!

You go girl!

COMMENT THIS BLOG

All coked up...

2009-10-14T18:44:00.031-04:00

...ok not really.

My blog is about Coke...not that coke.

(Side note: My beautiful and wonderful and perfect Mama probably just fell out of her seat upon reading that blog title. I can hear her now: "Oh Lord, Wayne...I cannot believe she just wrote that"! Sorry Mama!)

Anyway, as I mentioned in my last blog, my old friend, Ron, is visiting Atlanta this week. He's from California, where I originally met him, and now lives in Texas. So he came in a couple days early so that we could get together and catch up on what's been going on in our lives.

Since he's never really seen Atlanta, but didn't have a lot of time to spare before he needed to get ready for the conference, he decided he wanted to see the World of Coca Cola. I figured, what the hell, I'd go with since I'd never been there and I AM FROM GEORGIA!

I mean, if YOU'RE FROM GEORGIA, you should've seen it by now! And since I was being so judgemental against my fellow Georgians who have not seen the place, I figured I'd better take myself off of that list.

Let me just tell you right now -- you have to see this place. I swear to God, you will literally act like a little child running loose in the candy store. I am not even kidding. Now Ron, being more reserved in public than I, remained calm. Although, I believe I detected a little bit of child-like excitement when he got to the Coke store. (Just sayin...).

Our visit was short but fun. Didn't do a whole lot, we were both tired. Him, from the flight. Me, from being up late the night before. So on Saturday, we hit a little sports bar for a bite to eat, then watched the FL/LSU game (?). I think that was the game. Then Sunday, before heading to the WofC, he got his Waffle House/grits fix because they don't have Waffle House's hear him. (Heehee! Gotta love Waffle House!)

So anyway, as promised, I brought back some presents, so I hope you enjoy them!

(World of Coca Cola - smack dab in the middle of downtown Atlanta - at the edge of Centennial Park. I'm very proud of this shot I got - kinda futuristic-like, don't ya think?)

(Some, of tons, of memorabilia.)

(The Coca Cola bear! He was giving hugs! Me loves him!)

(More memorabilia...)

(One of the many ad posters they had)

(Only PART of the wall of Olympic pins they've had over the years)

(Only PART of the wall that showed all the different products they make - world wide.)

(....if you're a Tony Stewart fan.)

(Their various Olympic torches - the one from the '96 Olympic Games held in Atlanta is the one in the lower left area of the picture.)

(A few of the Coke machines they've had over the years.)

(Ron in front of.... what else???)

(And finally...moi!)

There was just SO. MUCH. STUFF. If I posted all the pix, you'd be here all night and I just ain't gonna do that to ya!

It was just a lovely day with a great friend.

Sparkles 'n kisses!

Roadtrippin'

2009-10-10T14:04:00.006-04:00

Dear y'all,

Just a quick note to say I won't be posting (I don't think) until either Sunday night or Monday night. Gotta busy weekend/week ahead.

Headed to Atlanta today to see one of my old friends from California that I hung out with while I lived there. Ron is a great friend, a complete darling and I just love him to pieces and he's in town for business. How can I not go visit friends when they're visiting my state? Anyway, I met him through my friend, Jen, who was my roommate back in the day when we were all living in CA. They were good friends a long time before my fabulousness arrived in CA, then he and I became pretty good friends as well. Kim, Chey and I even played on the Pac Bell (?) co-ed softball team with him one year because they needed extra players and I am totally the first person you think of when athletics are involved! (not!) He and I have visited once since I left CA in 2000, when he flew out, about 5 yrs ago, to Ohio when I lived there so that he could go visit the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and the Football Hall of Fame (both in OH). So today and tomorrow, I'll be showing him around "The ATL" and doing the tourist thing....seeing the Coke plant, etc. Places that not even I have been to. I'll also be taking him around to some of my fave spots for dinner or drinks.

For those of you who followed my blogs at MySpace (before I came here to Blogger/Blogspot), you know that when I'm on a road trip, I like to bring back presents (in the form of pictures)!

So enjoy your weekend and when you come back here, I'll have a few presents for you!

Sparkles 'n kisses!

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-09T14:26:00.002-04:00

"How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being". --Oscar Wilde

"You can't have roots and wings"

2009-10-08T21:25:00.003-04:00

That quote is from one of my favorite (and cutest) movies: "Sweet Home Alabama".

I was raised in a small town in South Georgia. I won't even say the name, because if you're not from, or around, there, you don't know where it's at anyway. My parents still live in the same neighborhood/house that we lived in when we first moved there when I was in 7th grade. (Side note: I was actually born in another town, and that's my hometown, but it's not my "home" town.) There's really not much to do there. It's your typical small town. Everyone knows everyone. Growing up, all I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.

And I did just that. After I graduated, I was gone within two weeks. My life took several different paths at that point. I married, divorced, then decided I'd leave the state. I had no one to answer to and no children. I saw my chance. I promptly moved to San Francisco, California. And that's where my life began to get really interesting and fun.

I met, and befriended, some great people out there - some of us still keep in touch. All of us were from different walks of life. It's also where I found my "far-away-home". They accepted me out there. I was still Tammy From Georgia, but I was allowed to just be "me". I had a great job, a couple of great apartments, and ever better friends. I gambled in Vegas, visited Los Angeles, learned to snowboard (and gambled) in Lake Tahoe, visited Napa Valley (several times), watch the Oakland A's, ate at some of the finest restaurants, saw some of the finest plays, met some bad ass drag queens, went to the E.E. Ball (my Mother would be horrified!), Sears Point Raceway to see Jeff Gordon kick ass, and saw other places and visited other sites around the state. Jen and I had legendary Halloween parties, and gatherings in general. Kim and I partied and danced up a storm at the top clubs in town. I loved everything about California. They have a whole different set of rules there.

After my Great-Grandmother ("Gramp") and Grandfather ("Granddaddy Folds") passed away within a year of one another, I thought it best that I get closer to home. Those last minute cross-country flights are expensive, ya know. I also, by then, had the first of two nephews and a niece being born and I didn't want to miss out on their growin up. I found my "out" (although I did not want to leave CA), in that my company was moving its home office to Ohio.

Now, let me just say this right now. I never said to myself growing up "I want to live in Ohio". Who says that? Nevertheless, I moved with the company to Columbus, Ohio and ended up loving it -- and The Ohio State Buckeyes. I met, and dated, a Frenchman (originally from Paris) for 5 years. Although he was great at vacations, he sucked as a boyfriend. We won't even get in to that drama. But while with him, we took vacations to Austria and Germany (for a two week ski trip with his family that still lived in France) and to France and Switzerland (while he was on his 2-week R&R from deployment - Major in the Army Reserves and was on deployment to Afghanistan). We also went to Utah together on business and I learned to snow ski (which is really cool), so I was able to ski some pretty rad slopes in Austria. He also had a 30' cabin cruiser that we took to the lake, and to Put-In-Bay, almost every weekend during the Summer.

And it was fun.

But, with all that fun, so far away from home, comes homesickness. I'd just purchased a brand new two-story condo in the "in" area of Columbus and furnished it with all brand new furniture. Once I got settled in, I started realizing that although I had some really cool friends and a great life....it just wasn't "home". I mean, it was my home, and I loved that place...but it wasn't "home".

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Home is where the heart is". Or, "Home is where you make it". And that's true to a certain extent. But to me, "home" will always be my Mama's house -- and that small town.

I missed my family.

I was missing graduations, nieces/nephews being born, little league games, family Thanksgiving's, family Christmas', family reunions, old friends...and that small town life. Now, I came home for most of the holidays, but not always. And that wears you down after a while.

You see, although I loved my life and I'd done all (well, most all) that I wanted to, I was missing home. I knew that if I came home, that I wouldn't have this awesome life I'd been living. I'd have an even better life -- because then my family would be a part of it again.

I'd traveled so much, seen so much. But what was more important was home, family, and that small town that I wished for so many years to get the hell away from.

So, after a year of owning the condo I put it up for sale, gave a 3-month notice at work, and I came home. I live in a centrally-located area that's convenient to my home (where I was raised) and my hometown (where I was born, and where most of my family live). I am also only an hour away from Atlanta, which I luuurrrvvvveee and can head up there when I need a taste of big city life.

See, you make a choice. "You can't have roots and wings". You can't live in two places you love. You live at what you make is your home...and then you fly away every now and then. But you come back.

I chose "home".

And although there's a part of me that will never be the same person as I was when I first left... the rest of me will always be the same person I was.

Just a small town Southern girl.

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-08T18:55:00.001-04:00

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today". -James Dean

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

"Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live". -Henry David Thoreau

Let Your Haters be Your Motivators

2009-10-07T18:25:00.003-04:00

The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I hate that show. It's a trainwreck and those idiots give "The Atl" a REALLY BAD name. (Side note: I don't "watch" it religiously, but if I catch it while channel surfing, I'll watch it -- that whole trainwreck thing.) Anyway, almost every single one of those ladies (black and white) are pure trash in one way or the other. They never cease to amaze me that they really do think they are "classy Atlanta socialites", and they are so far from that.

If you have to brag that "I'm not keeping up with the Jones's, I AM the Jones's", then sweetheart, you are NOT the Jones's. "The Jones's" wouldn't brag about their status. I think NeNe said that. (??) And as you probably already know, real Atlanta socialites-housewives wouldn't dare be on that show. These girls are "new money", and that's all well and peachy, but the "old money" would not be caught dead on that show.

But, I digress. Sorry about the mini-rant.

Anyway, one of the "housewives" said something that caught my attention. She said to one of the other ladies: "Let your haters be your motivators".

And I loved it! Because it's so true. When someone tells you that you can't do something...let that motivate you to do it. When they say you can't be a the kind of person that you want to be... let that be the motivation to be the person you want to be. When they say that you couldn't possibly acheive the goal that you've set....fucking achieve it and more.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Never let the negativity deter you from your goals, dreams and ambitions.

Never.

That is all.

Sparkles 'n kisses!

Memory Lane

2009-10-07T09:03:00.013-04:00

The last few days, I've been thinking about someone who was very special to me many years ago. I've thought of him, occasionally, over the years... wondering how he's doing in life and if he has found happiness. The last I heard, he was married and living a happy life.

Time marches on. It doesn't seem like it was that many years ago that I was head over heels in love with him. I remember our time together (20+ years ago) as if it were yesterday. I remember how much we loved each other. The way he would stare seemingly in to my soul, just before we kissed, and oh how it sent shivers up my spine when he looked at me that way. The way he made me laugh. I thought we'd be together forever. God, how I loved him. It was deeply intense.

But, one disasterous event tore our relationship apart. And after that, it was never the same between us. We tried, but we just could not get past it. It is an event that he and I alone share, and one that will remain with the both of us forever.

We stayed in touch periodically for several years after we broke up. As it happens in life, we eventually lost touch. The last time I ever heard from him, he'd just returned from Desert Storm (Oh, he was one damn handsome Marine). He called to say he'd made it back to the States and was driving from California to Georgia. I'd sent him a couple of care packages, and we corresponded some, while he was deployed. Although our time together was over, and we were just friends at that point, I thought of him often, and hoped he would return home safe to his family.

During the time we were keeping in touch, while he was deployed, I asked him to be safe and think of me before he left out for the desert. The result of that statement was a poem from him that I unexpectedly received in the mail. I have kept that poem all these years, and I still remember almost all of the words to it.

I've never shared it with anyone.... ever. Not another soul has read it.

I can still see the paper it's written on, his handwriting. Neatly folded up in the original envelope it arrived in. It lived in my purse for probably 10 years, until it began to wear out. The creases tattered from opening/folding it for so many years. I packed it away for safe keeping when I moved back to Georgia, and now I can't find it -- and I'm amazed at how upset I am at this very moment that I cannot find my poem. Amazed at how something so small can make such an impact on someone's life, memories. My house is now a disaster area. I have torn through the "memories" boxes, the "important paperwork" boxes, and even the "junk drawer" that everyone has in their kitchen. And I cannot find it. And I know it's here. I'll find it.

Perhaps I will share it with you then. Perhaps not.

Until then, I want you all to remember something: Keep all your memories close to your heart. When it's over, of course you want to forget him. But don't. And don't forget the memories. Because many years from now, you'll look back at that letter, or poem, or picture, and remember the sweet, tender, touching moments that you shared together. And it will make you smile.

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-06T19:24:00.002-04:00

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.” -Carrie (Sex And The City)

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

"A diva is someone who "pretends" to know who she is and looks fabulous doing it". -Jenifer Lewis (I just thought this one was cute...and true. Diva's do pretend!) :-)

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-04T09:47:00.001-04:00

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay." -Virginia Satir

The Daily Fabulous

2009-10-03T11:47:00.001-04:00

"Carnegie Hall was real fabulous, but you know, it ain't as big as the Grand Ole Opry". -Patsy Cline

A woman should have...

2009-10-03T09:42:00.003-04:00

I swear by these rules...so I thought I'd share them with you:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a feeling of control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and when to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect..but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone, even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to put together a thousand dollar outfit...with just $100.00...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to say "no" and not have to explain why...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that if your partner can't cook...teach him/her how...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that you are a fabulous, and beautiful, creature...and you should never doubt that...

Sparkles 'n kisses!

The Daily Fabulous

2009-09-29T22:28:00.005-04:00

For a change to your normal makeup routine, don some fake eyelashes. They are a fabulous thing. And they light up your face!

How to NOT be Fabulous

2009-09-29T12:24:00.030-04:00

Fabulous is good. Fabulous if fun! Fabulous is another word for confidence... in yourself. You don't have to dress to the nines to be fabulous. You don't have to look perfect to be fabulous. You don't even have to have the perfect life. You just have to feel it, own it and be able to roll with the punches. And to know, within yourself, that you are one damn fabulous woman.

Am I perfect? God no. Do I wear the best clothes money can buy? Heck no. Am I the most beautiful woman in the world? Please! But am I confident and fierce? Absolutely! That's not to say that there are times when I don't feel it. But for the most part, I do. Because when you feel good about yourself (both outwardly, and especially inside), it shows! And your days are so much better! Own the fierce-ness. If you see that in you, others will see it in you as well. But if you don't? They will also see that.

So, if you want to be fabulous (have confidence), here are a few things on what NOT to do:

1 - If you feel terrible (as in your heart), don't go out in public looking like you dressed to stay in bed. If you want to dress to stay in bed, then just stay in bed. Otherwise, fix yourself up! It will make you feel a little better about whatever situation that you are going through and it won't make others feel uncomfortable that you look SO upset. Keep all the upset within the confines of your home, or your girlfriends home, where you can talk in a more private setting.

2 - Do not make up fake profiles (and then put your real name on it), that have no blogs, no pictures and zero friends listed, but then constantly update your status all for one particular person to see. Oh my God, that is just C-R-E-E-P-Y! And that person? They're gonna be laughing at you! And then everyone will know, and those who don't will hear about it soon enough, that you made a fake profile for one specific purpose and one purpose only. You may think you're fabulous, but this takes your fabulous-ness down several levels that will take a while to get back. It looks desperate, shows may-jah insecurity, and implies that you really don't have your mental shit together. So just don't do it.

3 - Slouching. Runny/streaked/leftover makeup. Hair not fixed. Big no-no's. Stand up straight and fix that make up and hair! If you absolutely cannot make yourself get ready, at least pull your hair back in to a classy and simple ponytail, apply mascara, blush and a light lipstick or gloss. It's amazing what just a little mascara alone can do to brighten up your eyes (and face)!

4 - Don't act like a bitch. Seriously. There is a difference between fabulous (again, confidence) and bitchy. There's no faster way to rub people the wrong way than being a bitch. Now, I'm not saying that if the situation REALLY calls for it, that you don't act like one when you need to. But 99% of the time, you really don't need to.

5 - Don't walk in to a room/bar/restaurant/etc. like you're timid. That's a good way to have no one even notice you've walked in. Walk in like you OWN it. Hold your head up, straighten your back, be smiling when you walk in, and say hello to everyone you knowas you pass them headed to your seat. Never be a wallflower. Be a social butterfuly! Speak up and talk to people! Have a good time!

Now, I could go on and on with this, but you get the point.

The bottom line is the minute you walk out your door, own the fabulosity. Even if you feel crappy, owning your fabulous-ness/confidence will make you feel tons better; not seem like a hot mess.

Sparkles 'n kisses!